The big lie Australia is telling the world about Sydney: ‘It’s so disappointing’

Sydney is considered a 24-hour vibrant city around the world, but many argue that it’s just the opposite.

Tourists from overseas and interstate said they were “shocked” to see shops and restaurants closed and public transport suspended in the early evening.

TikToker Jenny Tian pointed out that it is difficult to drink coffee after 2pm, as most cafes close by 5pm and restaurants stop serving food by 9pm. did.

She said many “party areas” had become residential areas and people who wanted to use public transport at night were “enjoying the half-hour wait in the freezing cold for the Night Rider”.

Foreigners who have moved to Sydney are complaining that shops close too early.

“What are the real reasons and challenges for the lack of nighttime activities (aside from some bars and kebab shops)?” and even though a large proportion of Sydney’s population are night owls. “Why is this town so sleepy and not open 24 hours a day?” one man asked on Reddit.

“I moved to Sydney from Asia in 2016 and was very surprised to find that most establishments closed so early. Pharmacies, salons, retail stores, cafes, restaurants and shopping malls all closed before 7pm. Just dying everywhere and this was even before the pandemic,” said another.

Australians readily agreed, but said visitors were “shocked” to find out how “dead” the city was on a weekday night.

One Australian commented: “Sydney is the opposite of a 24-hour city”, while another said: “I left Sydney in 2004 and Sydney was a 24-hour city…I came back in 2017…dead ” he said.

“I’m from Melbourne. I went to Sydney recently and was shocked at how run down the CBD was. By 6pm the streets were empty. “Melbourne is buzzing every night.” one woman answered.

“It was a complete culture shock to see coffee shops close at 2pm in Australia. Where I’m from we drink coffee after dinner at 10pm,” another wrote.

Some pointed out that the same was true for most Australian capitals outside of Melbourne.

Many say the majority of people living in the New South Wales capital are “chronic morning people”.

“People often say they want to go to bed by 9-10 p.m., including young people in their 20s.” There are so many cities to go to,” one user said.

“Sydney is a morning city. There are also many cafes that open from around 6am. There are many people who wake up early to do something. Please enjoy nature etc. The ‘nightlife’ side is really suffering,” another person explained.